Singapore is taking a «fresh look» at issues relating to marriage and parenthood to help families lighten the load as family life comes under greater strain, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Saturday (Aug 8).Ultimately, economic growth and technological progress must translate into better lives for all Singaporeans, he said in his National Day Message on the eve of the nation's 61st birthday.

Since Singapore's independence 61 years ago, Singaporeans from all backgrounds have come together as «one people and one nation», and as the world becomes increasingly divided, the values embodied in Singapore's national pledge are more relevant than ever, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.In his National Day message on Aug 8, he called on Singaporeans to keep faith with one another and stay true to the ideals of the national pledge.And if Singapore and its people can do so, there will be a better and stronger Singapore, PM Wong said.«Six decades ago, that conviction found expression in our National Pledge,» he added.  «It reflected a simple but powerful belief — that we could become one nation, bound together not by race, language or religion, but by a shared commitment to one another and to Singapore.» 

A 38-year-old driver died after his car was believed to have crashed into a traffic light and road divider in Hougang, causing it to flip onto its side on Friday (Aug 7).The incident occurred at around 4.20am that morning at Hougang Avenue 6 towards Hougang Avenue 10.Photos of the aftermath shared on Facebook by user Eng Seng Teo show a black car lying on its side with its bonnet crushed, next to a broken road railing and surrounded by debris. At least two police cars can be seen at the scene.Long (transliterated), a 29-year-old passerby, told Shin Min Daily News that he had seen the overturned car and the unconscious driver.He added that about 10 Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) personnel were at the scene to rescue the trapped driver.Lin (transliterated), a 60-year-old renovation contractor, told the Chinese daily that she had heard a loud bang and went to take a look. She added that passersby knocked on the car window but received no response and had to wait for SCDF to arrive.

Two persons, aged 23 and 29, were arrested for their alleged involvement in a case of motor vehicle theft.Police said in a news release on Aug 7 that they were alerted to a case of car theft at a multi-storey carpark along Kranji Loop at about 7.45pm on July 24.According to the victim, he had parked his rental car at the carpark on July 21.Officers from Woodlands Police Division established the identity of a 29-year-old man through ground enquiries and with the aid of images from police cameras.He was arrested on Aug 6 and the stolen vehicle was also recovered.Preliminary investigations revealed that the keys to the rental car had been left unattended overnight on one of the car tyres.Investigations against the 23-year-old woman are ongoing.The man will be charged in court on Aug 8 with the offence of theft of motor vehicle. If found guilty, he could be jailed for up to seven years and fined.[[nid:742094]]editor@asiaone.com 

Three people, aged between 25 and 38, have been arrested for their alleged involvement in a coordinated scheme that compromised the Singpass accounts of work permit holders.Police said in a news release on Friday (Aug 7) night that since early August, at least 23 work permit holders have reported that their Singpass accounts were locked after being approached and offered an $80 cash incentive in exchange for access to their accounts. Some of the victims were purportedly told that their Singpass accounts would be used to purchase National Day Parade (NDP) tickets at a discounted price of $500.After they agreed to participate in the scheme, the work permit holders were allegedly instructed to meet the perpetrators at locations such as MRT stations, Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates and construction sites.Subsequently, the victims' work permits were scanned and their Singpass passwords obtained from them.The compromised accounts were then used to apply for telco or financial accounts, the police said.

SINGAPORE – A number of investors in Singapore have made police reports over an alleged Ponzi scheme involving Fun Coffee, a food business that originated in Vietnam.It comes just days after the authorities in Hong Kong and Macau arrested eight people in total linked to a scheme that has seen 200 people lose nearly HK$100 million (S$16.3 million).Based in Phu Quoc, Vietnam, Fun Coffee claimed to have assets of more than US$1 billion (S$1.28 billion) and a team of more than 5,000.Investors were encouraged to pour money into the firm's coffee-based ventures using cryptocurrency.It claimed to employ sophisticated technology including brewing machinery and intelligent irrigation and fertilisation systems, reported Asia News Network.

Next stop, IS7 Cayden? A new MRT station has just been announced, but you probably won't find it on Singapore's official rail map.The station, IS7 Cayden, was created specially for a seven-year-old train enthusiast's birthday celebration.Megan Chew, Cayden's cousin, posted a TikTok video on Sunday (Aug 2) of the little train enthusiast's birthday celebration.Chew told AsiaOne that she was excited to see the little boy's reaction to the MRT-themed cake. The 23-year-old said that Cayden had developed an interest in trains and MRT lines since the start of the year.«Every time I meet him, he'll share about his favourite MRT lines and stations. Sometimes, [he] even tests me on my train knowledge like: 'Name five stations on the North-East line',» shared Chew.In the clip, the birthday boy can be seen giggling with joy as he admires his birthday cake, which is decorated with the Singapore MRT map.Cayden bashfully smiles and covers his face before dashing away from the spotlight, as a birthday song is sung for him. The White Ombre shared on Facebook on Tuesday that it had customised the cake for Cayden.

Ilhan Fandi handed Singapore an early birthday present as his second-half equaliser secured a 1-1 draw against Indonesia, sending the Lions into the Asean Championship semi-finals on Friday (Aug 7).Roared on by a sell-out crowd of 5,113 at Jalan Besar Stadium, the world No. 148 hosts recovered after falling behind early in the second half. The final whistle sparked celebrations among the home supporters, who had packed the stadium just two days before National Day.Playing in their new Adidas home kit for the first time, Singapore secured second place in Group A and a berth in the last four.Ilhan capitalised on a costly goalkeeping error in the 66th minute to cancel out Ragnar Oratmangoen’s goal and deny the world No. 118 visitors the victory they needed to progress.With only a point needed to qualify, Singapore finished second in Group A behind Vietnam, whose 3-1 win over Cambodia sealed top spot.Indonesia, who entered the match knowing only a win would keep their campaign alive, were eliminated.

A Singapore TikToker was offered the chance to live and farm on a piece of New Zealand land, which she compared to the size of Toa Payoh, free of charge.The unexpected offer to place a tiny house on the property came after TikToker Esther, known on social media as risewithaster, said she spent time helping a farming couple she first met through an Airbnb stay.Esther said that she eventually became part of a community focused on self-sufficient living, according to her post that has been viewed more than 25,000 times since it was uploaded on July 24.'I was interested in permaculture'In her video, Esther shared that she initially planned to spend six months in New Zealand but ended up staying for over a year as she travelled, explored permaculture and considered her next steps after leaving her teaching job.According to her website, Esther had previously taught English and Literature for 14 years.Recounting her experience in a TikTok video, Esther said one Airbnb listing in New Zealand had caught her attention: a farm owned by a couple named James and Sarah.

A 22-year-old man will be charged in court on Saturday (Aug 8) for allegedly driving a deregistered vehicle without a valid driving licence and causing the death of a pump attendant at an Esso petrol station in Upper Changi Road North.Police said in a news release on Friday night that the man drove a car to the petrol station at about 3.55am on Thursday.As a 69-year-old male pump attendant was about to refuel the car he was driving, the man allegedly returned to the driver's seat and reversed abruptly.This caused the open driver's-side door to strike the elderly man, causing him to fall and hit his head. He was taken unconscious to the hospital, where he later died of his injuries on Friday.According to the police, the male driver abandoned his vehicle after the incident and fled the scene with a female passenger.Officers from the Traffic Police (TP) established the identities of the duo through ground enquiries and with the aid of images from police cameras and closed-circuit television (CCTV), and arrested them on the same day of the incident.

A man was handed a $3,000 fine after refusing to pay for a bowl of porridge while intoxicated and later verbally abusing police officers at Orchard Plaza.Wu Guojie (transliterated), 36, faced one charge each under the Protection from Harassment Act and the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act, reported Chinese publication Shin Min Daily News.Wu pleaded guilty to one of the charges, while the other was taken into consideration during sentencing.The incident occurred on Dec 9, 2025 at around 7am, when Wu refused to pay a female stallholder for a bowl of porridge he had ordered.The stallholder subsequently reported him to police officers. When officers asked Wu to produce identification documents to verify his identity, he refused to cooperate.Despite repeated attempts by an officer to engage him, Wu, who was intoxicated, continued shouting, behaved aggressively and even challenged the officers to arrest him, Shin Min reported.He was subsequently arrested and taken to Woodlands Police Division Headquarters.

Four people were taken to the hospital after a chain collision involving three vehicles on Bedok North Road.The incident was shared on Friday (Aug 7) via Facebook in a group for private-hire drivers. The post claimed the accident occurred at about 2.15pm.Photos of the incident showed multiple vehicles stopped in the outermost lane. One of the photos showed a green GrabCab sandwiched between two other cars.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said that they were alerted to the traffic accident involving two cars and a taxi on Bedok North Road towards Bartley Road East at 2.10pm.A 43-year-old male driver and his two passengers, aged 10 and 42, were taken to the hospital conscious.A 25-year-old female passenger from another vehicle was also taken to the hospital conscious, while two other drivers, aged 48 and 65, sustained minor injuries but declined to be taken to the hospital.According to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), two people were taken to Changi General Hospital, while another two were taken to Sengkang General Hospital.

Ilhan Fandi handed Singapore an early birthday present as his second-half equaliser secured a 1-1 draw against Indonesia, sending the Lions into the ASEAN Championship semi-finals on Friday (Aug 7).Roared on by a sell-out crowd of 5,113 at Jalan Besar Stadium, the world No. 148 hosts recovered after falling behind early in the second half. The final whistle sparked celebrations among the home supporters, who had packed the stadium just two days before National Day.Playing in their new Adidas home kit for the first time, Singapore secured second place in Group A and a berth in the last four.Ilhan capitalised on a costly goalkeeping error in the 66th minute to cancel out Ragnar Oratmangoen’s goal and deny the world No. 118 visitors the victory they needed to progress.With only a point needed to qualify, Singapore finished second in Group A behind Vietnam, whose 3-1 win over Cambodia sealed top spot.Indonesia, who entered the match knowing only a win would keep their campaign alive, were eliminated.

Just in time for National Day long weekend, the Mandai Wildlife Reserve is introducing a new red panda.Visitors can watch Yaffa at the reserve's new purpose-built exhibit in Yangtze River zone, Mandai Wildlife Group announced on Friday (Aug 7). Originally from Taipei Zoo, the 11-year-old was brought to Singapore as part of an animal exchange programme, and is the first red panda to join River Wonders (formerly River Safari) in 12 years.At present, River Wonders also houses Karma, a different red panda which lives in the zoo's Giant Panda Forest.The red panda is native to Asia and also considered endangered, with fewer than 10,000 estimated to be left in the wild.Although Mandai Wildlife Group is only announcing this now, Yaffa has been in Singapore since June 11, 2026.He was subsequently quarantined for a month and his health assessed through various tests, including weight checks, ultrasounds and X-ray.As he is considered relatively older, he will also undergo regular health and mobility checks.

All Leonard Teo wanted was to answer nature's call in peace. Instead, he claims he repeatedly found himself dealing with alleged voyeurs in a Serangoon mall toilet.The 33-year-old videographer took to TikTok to warn others about this particular toilet in a shopping centre in Serangoon, where he claimed to have encountered six voyeurism cases during the two years where he worked nearby.Of these, he has called the police thrice – however, two of the cases were dropped due to a lack of evidence.Teo re-enacted the first of the six incidents in a video uploaded on July 20.Recounting his first alleged encounter, Teo said he was in a cubicle when he noticed someone peering at him through holes in the cubicle door, which he says had been left behind after an old lock was removed.«My mind went blank instantly. I have never been faced with such a situation,» he said. «But just as quickly as the eye was there, it disappeared.»Shocked at what had happened, and needing to clean himself up, Teo said he took a while to leave the cubicle. By the time he emerged, the alleged voyeur had disappeared.

More than 8kg of cocaine was seized from a foreign-registered commercial vessel following a joint operation by the Police Coast Guard (PCG) and the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB). The police said in a statement on Friday (Aug 7) that the operation was conducted on Wednesday, at the Raffles Reserved Anchorage — located between Pulau Senang and Pulau Semakau. Map showing where Raffles Reserved Anchorage is located at. CHART: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore The operation was launched after they were alerted to suspicious packages found on board a foreign-registered commercial vessel.

Ahead of the National Day on Sunday (Aug 9), various Government agencies, including the President's Office, Ministry of Defence (Mindef) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) held their national day observance ceremonies on Friday morning.President Tharman Shanmugaratnam was joined by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong at the Istana, where they sang the national anthem and recited the national pledge.They also watched a Malay choral singing (dikir barat) performance by the Attorney-General's Chambers.

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has charged a 23-year-old man for his alleged involvement in trafficking etomidate vaporiser pods, also known as Kpods.Dean Daniel Ong was arrested on July 30 after HSA officers, acting on a tip-off, raided Ong's residence in Hougang, where officers seized two vaporisers and 55 pods.In a news release on Friday (Aug 7), HSA said that laboratory testing has since confirmed that the pods contained etomidate.Investigations are ongoing and the case, which was mentioned again in court on Friday, has been adjourned to Sept 16.HSA said that it takes a serious view of e-vaporiser and etomidate trafficking offences.Importers, sellers and distributors of etomidate e-vaporisers now face stiffer penalties. If convicted, importers can be jailed for three to 20 years and receive five to 15 strokes of the cane, while sellers and distributors can be jailed for two to 10 years and receive two to five strokes of the cane. Need support around vaping or addiction?

Lim Tean was arrested by the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) in Johor Bahru on Thursday (Aug 6), the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said on Friday.Lim, who is the secretary-general of the People's Alliance of Reform, was issued an arrest warrant on Aug 3 to begin his jail term for practising law without a certificate.«As Lim Tean has an outstanding court warrant for arrest in Singapore for failing to surrender to court, the SPF is working closely with the RMP to secure his return to Singapore,» the police said.«The SPF expresses appreciation to the Malaysian authorities for their prompt assistance.»[[nid:741894]]daoen.wong@asiaone.com

Bourse operator Singapore Exchange (SGX) reported record full-year earnings on Thursday (Aug 6) on growth across its businesses, while also proposing a one-off additional dividend.Singapore's equity market has gained this year after the Monetary Authority of Singapore launched a programme to revive listings and improve liquidity.«Growth was broad-based, with our cash equities business leading the way and our foreign exchange and commodities pillars reaching new volume highs,» said Loh Boon Chye, Chief Executive Officer of SGX Group.A broader rotation of global capital toward Asian safe-haven assets amid dollar volatility has also helped, with the Straits Times Index hitting repeated record highs during the year.The city-state's bourse operator hosted 21 equity listings, up from six a year earlier, raising $4.1 billion.SGX said its IPO pipeline includes companies in sectors such as digital infrastructure, healthcare and consumer.Full-year net revenue from equities-cash segment rose 28.1 per cent and accounted for more than a third of the group's net revenue which rose 13.9 per cent to an all-time high of $1,478.3 million.

Incidents involving cyclists and motorists have regularly been discussed online, sometimes with intensity.On Aug 2, Facebook account SG Road Vigilante, which posts videos relating to road accidents and behaviour, shared a video showing an altercation between a lorry driver and cyclist on Braddell Road. In this case, the lorry driver is seen failing to give way at the yield line, turning out from Bishan Street 11 onto Braddell Road despite the oncoming cyclist.The cyclist is later seen riding briefly alongside the lorry, gesturing at the driver.Last month, a group of cyclists was seen riding through at least two red light stops in Pasir Ris.In both incidents, there were strong comments from both drivers and cyclists alike.Perhaps the discourse was best summed up by Michael Loke who wrote: «This is the kind of behaviour that causes drivers to gradually build resentment against cyclists.» But it is also worth noting that not all cyclists are errant road users.

A community cat in Marsiling was found covered in an black oily substance by feeders, who suspect the feline was attacked.The white cat, affectionately named Bai Bai (white white in Mandarin), had grease in its ears and watery eyes, reported Shin Min Daily News.Cat feeder Chen Shimei (transliteration), 62, told the publication that Bai Bai was discovered in that condition late last month.The retiree has been travelling from Ang Mo Kio to the Marsiling industrial estate every other day to feed the strays for eight to nine years. On the days she is not there, another cat feeder in her eighties makes the rounds.The other feeder was the one who noticed Bai Bai's unusual black coat and that it was unable to open its eyes, said Chen.Both of them raised funds for Bai Bai and took it to a vet, where it stayed for a night. The final vet bill was reportedly about $1,095.Chen also decided to take Bai Bai home to prevent it being harmed again.She said it is unlikely that the cat became covered in oil on its own.

A draw against Indonesia at a sold-out Jalan Besar Stadium on Friday (Aug 7) will send Singapore into the ASEAN Championship semi-finals, two days before the nation celebrates its 61st birthday.For forward Ilhan Fandi, that would make for the perfect National Day present.«We play football for the people, and of course it will be nice to give back to Singapore on her birthday,» said the forward, who has scored two of Singapore's four goals in the tournament.«We are here to do a job and to put up a good performance and try and qualify for the semi-final but to get a nice present for Singaporeans would be nice as well.»

«Singapore's greatness today belongs not only to great men, but also to every nameless hero who left their youth here.»The message was part of an emotional tribute by Malaysian rapper Namewee to his late uncle, Ong Kwang Boon, who reportedly died alone in a Singapore HDB flat a few months ago.In a video posted on Aug 5, Namewee said his uncle «devoted his entire life to Singapore».The 43-year-old singer-rapper, whose real name is Wee Meng Chee, shared that his maternal uncle died in Singapore a few months ago.According to Wee, his uncle's body remained undiscovered for more than a week until a neighbour alerted the police after noticing a foul smell coming from the unit.Wee did not reveal when or where his uncle died. However, checks by AsiaOne indicate that Ong likely lived in a Housing Board flat along Kang Ching Road.In his video tribute, Wee said that his 66-year-old uncle was not married and had come to Singapore in 1979 to work right after graduating from high school.

What would you do if your car caught on fire? For Carol Sek, a family wealth specialist with Unicorn Financial Solutions, the answer was simple: stay calm and let her friends and family know she was safe.In a video posted to the company's Instagram and TikTok on Tuesday (Aug 4), Sek recounted how her Lamborghini Gallardo caught fire while she was driving on the East Coast Parkway (ECP) on July 23.Videos of the incident showed her bright green car ablaze, while the Land Transport Authority reported heavy traffic along the ECP following the incident.Sek said that her first instinct was to make a call to a man, whose identity was not revealed, and let him know that she was safe.Her next instinct was to ask if he wanted to see the fire.«It's such an experience. Do you want to have a video call and take a look?»According to Sek, firefighters and first responders arrived shortly after her Lamborghini caught fire, and the situation was resolved within 10 to 15 minutes.

A 27-year-old man will be charged in court on Friday (Aug 7) for allegedly posting videos containing insulting remarks about the Muslim community in Singapore.Police said in a news release following his arrest on Thursday that they had received a report on March 1 regarding other videos posted by the man.He had allegedly uploaded videos of himself on social media in which he made «insulting and profane remarks» against the Muslim community in Singapore.Officers from Tanglin Police Division later established the identity of the man, but he had already left Singapore for Malaysia prior to the report being lodged.«With the assistance of the Royal Malaysia Police, the man was deported from Malaysia on Aug 6, and was arrested by the Police upon his arrival in Singapore on the same day,» the police said.The 27-year-old will be charged with the offence of insulting the religion of another person under Section 17F(4) of the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act 1990.If convicted, he could face up to five years' jail, a fine, or both.

Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport has apologised for its security officers' «inappropriate conduct» while handling 22 disorderly fans who mobbed two actors there on July 29, including Singaporean actor Ayden Sng.The airport in Bangkok issued a statement in English on Tuesday (Aug 4) after footage of a security officer making a racially offensive gesture towards the fans went viral on social media.  The incident occurred on July 29 at around 11pm (12am SGT), wrote the airport in its statement outlining the events of the incident.A group of fans who were scheduled to board Thai Airways flight TG674 to Beijing that night had swarmed around two actors, wrote the statement.The artistes were later identified as Sng and Chinese national Lv Sitong, both stars of the popular web drama Double Helix. They were in Bangkok for a July 26 fan meet.The airport explained that the fans followed the artistes into the passenger lounge even though entry to the facility was prohibited for them.As such, Thai Airways staff contacted airport security personnel to manage the situation and escort the fans out of the lounge.

The police have recovered Miss Universe Singapore Annika Xue Sager's missing bag, a day after she shared on Instagram that she had spent 48 hours tracking it across Singapore using Apple's Find My app.In an Instagram video uploaded on Thursday (Aug 6), Sager said she received the news from her investigating officer at about 8pm on Wednesday.Shortly after receiving the call, two police officers arrived at her home to take her statement and to verify whether all the items in her bag had been recovered.She said that «almost» everything was recovered, with only some cash from her wallet reported missing.Sager said police did not disclose how they located the bag, apart from saying that CCTV footage had been used in their investigations.In her previous video, she said the bag had fallen off her motorcycle along Swiss Club Road, and she was later told by a security guard that a black car had picked it up.

A 51-year-old Singapore man has been arrested for attempting to smuggle 60 vaporisers into Singapore through Tuas Checkpoint, said the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).In a post on Facebook post on Wednesday (Aug 6), ICA said its officers foiled the attempt on July 20 after profiling a Singapore-registered car for enhanced checks. During the inspection, officers discovered 60 vaporisers concealed in the floorboard compartment of the vehicle. The Singaporean driver was arrested, and the case has since been referred to the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) for further investigation, said ICA. The authority added that he was issued a composition fine. On May 4, the Ministry of Health and HSA said that in the first quarter of the year, authorities seized more than 36,000 vapes and related components across Singapore's checkpoints and detected 24 smuggling cases.

A man was fined $8,000 after he pleaded guilty to disposing about 1,530 kg of household and renovation waste illegally at a heavy vehicle park in Tampines.General worker Shkder Foridul was charged with one count of dumping waste from a vehicle in a public place under the Environmental Public Health Act 1987 on Tuesday (Aug 4), said the National Environment Agency (NEA) in a statement on Thursday.The pile of waste, which comprised of household items and renovation waste, had been dumped on the grass verge at Tampines Road Heavy Vehicle Park and was discovered during a routine check by NEA on May 14 last year.Investigations revealed that the man had undertaken hacking and dismantling jobs for two residential premises at Whampoa Drive and Farrer Road respectively.Instead of disposing them at a licensed general waste disposal facility, he had dumped it illegally out of convenience.«The illegal disposal of waste is a serious offence as it pollutes the environment and poses a hazard to public health,» the agency said.«NEA will not hesitate to take strict enforcement action against any person who disposes of waste illegally.»

SINGAPORE — The driver who caused a six-vehicle collision in Tampines in 2024, which claimed the lives of a junior college student and a 57-year-old woman, has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death.The court on Aug 6 heard that the student’s mother has been struggling with major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder over the loss of her daughter.Muhammad Syafie Ismail, 45, admitted to a slew of traffic offences, including dangerous driving causing death and dangerous driving causing hurt.Syafie arrived at around 8.40am and walked into the State Courts alone, donning sunglasses, a cap and a mask, with his head down.His admission to the offences comes more than two years after the crash on April 22, 2024, and after at least four court adjournments.After working the night shift as an operations manager at a global manufacturing firm and later dropping off a GrabHitch passenger in Bedok at around 6.15am, Syafie drove dangerously by abruptly overtaking a car along Bedok Reservoir Road.

PSA Singapore's Tuas Port — currently the world's largest fully automated container terminal — has handled 25 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) since operations began in September 2022. Announcing the milestone on Thursday (Aug 6), PSA said the achievement reflects the continued ramping up of operations at Tuas Port, while underscoring its growing importance as a key node in global trade.«As maritime trade continues to evolve amid shifting geopolitical dynamics, Tuas Port continues to serve as a critical gateway for resilient, reliable and efficient cargo flows,» the global port operator added.Tuas Port is a key pillar of PSA's node-to-network strategy in Southeast Asia, integrating individual nodes into a network of port ecosystems to enable resilient supply chains and keep trading flowing.Alongside a new $647.5 million supply chain hub — slated for completion in 2027 — the operator is making Tuas a focal point of the global supply chain system. 

Four healthcare operators have been appointed to deliver the enhanced Primary Care Plan (PCP) for migrant workers, providing this group with more affordable healthcare from April 2027, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Wednesday (Aug 5).Under this enhanced PCP, migrant workers will co-pay $5 per consultation for physical clinic consultation and telemedicine services. «[This will allow] migrant workers to seek care when they need to. This takes into account the higher costs of delivering telemedicine services while ensuring that consultation co-payments remain affordable for migrant workers,» said the ministry. The four operators are Sata CommHealth, St Andrew's Mission Hospital, Healthway Medical Group and Fullerton Health.Anchored in the north, south, east and west of Singapore, these operators will provide this service for the next five years from April 1, 2027.The PCP was introduced in 2022.MOM said that they have consulted with stakeholders and enhanced the PCP, aiming to make primary healthcare more accessible and strengthen service delivery while keeping costs affordable for employers.

Singapore's western rail network is set to expand further, with four new stations planned under Phase 3 of the Cross Island Line.Announced on July 31, the Cross Island Line Phase 3, or CRL3, will extend the line by about 10km from the future Jurong Lake District station to Gul Circle. It will serve residents in Taman Jurong while providing workers with better access to the industrial areas around Jalan Buroh, Benoi and Gul.Construction is expected to begin in 2027, while the stations are targeted to open by the late 2030s. Although the full benefits remain more than a decade away, the confirmed route provides a clearer picture of how homes and workplaces in the west will eventually be connected.

Phase 2C of the P1 registration exercise for 2027, which closed on July 30, will see 73 primary schools conduct balloting. All of these schools are oversubscribed except for Opera Estate Primary School, which will hold balloting for permanent resident (PR) applicants because of its cap on the intake of PR children.There are 182 primary schools in Singapore, with 179 open for registration in 2026.Phase 2C, considered the most competitive phase and open to all children, has 40 places reserved at each primary school.According to the latest vacancies and balloting status updated on the Ministry of Education's (MOE) website on Thursday (Aug 5), Princess Elizabeth Primary School in Bukit Batok was the most oversubscribed, with 159 children applying for 40 spots.The four other most oversubscribed schools are: